Most people think Canada means cold. Always cold. But there’s a city at the southern end of Vancouver Island where winters are milder than most of the US. That city is Victoria.
Winter lows there average 3°C or 37.4°F. A Reddit user named seashellvalley760 put together a map comparing Victoria’s temperatures to everywhere else in America. Blue on the map indicates areas colder than Victoria. Yellow shows warmer spots.
Look at how much blue covers the map. Most of the country freezes harder than this Canadian city.
The yellow zones are limited. You’ll see them along the Gulf Coast through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and into South Carolina. A handful of North Carolina counties between Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound show yellow. Southern Arizona has some. One county in Nevada. Portions of California’s coast. Parts of Oregon’s coastline. Just Jefferson County in Washington State.
That’s about all the yellow you’ll find.
Victoria’s location explains everything. The Pacific Ocean wraps around three sides of the city. Mountains to the east keep cold continental air from reaching it. According to the Köppen system, this creates a Csb climate. Warm-summer Mediterranean. San Francisco has it too.
Mediterranean climate. In Canada.
Summers stay dry. Winters get the rain. Snow? Rare. Maybe 15 frost days a year.
February gets the coldest. Even then, lows only hit 3°C or 37°F. Above freezing.
How far north you are doesn’t tell you much. Ocean currents count for more. Mountains blocking wind help too. Proximity to water helps. Victoria has all three going for it.
People grow palm trees in Victoria. Roses bloom there in February.
